Chapter Text
Aether has traveled to many different lands. From frigid worlds barren with life to demonic landscapes sculpted from scorching brimstone. He has fought countless foes, some god-like in power as he and his sister; they have prevailed every time, save one.
Yet nothing— NOTHING could compare to the predicament he has found himself in the curious world of Teyvat. Nothing had taken him off guard as much as the eldritch horror his arms are holding now. Nothing.
Two bleary, amethyst eyes blinked before him, too close for comfort— practically shoved right into his face. He felt a warm air brush against his cheeks, as a pair of glossy lips exhaled in a rhythm. Silky, purple hair tickled his nose. It smelled of tempting lavender, a blend that Paimon would exposition as from a rare shampoo only available to Liyue's nobility. Ivory legs crossed with his, constricting him to his inevitable fate.
The girl he had shared a bed with sat up on top of him. Her floral nightgown slipped from her shoulders. Slowly. Tantalizingly, only clinging to the girl's body by the curvature of her breasts. Her chest was clearly visible- smooth and delicate like a mirror. It undulated with her breaths.
Aether gulped. His heart was thumping at double pace and cold sweat trickled down his cheeks.
Keqing yawned and rubbed her eyes. Even half-asleep, she did so in one graceful movement. Fast and efficient, like everything else she did. Her nightgown remained unfastened, however.
And she did not hesitate to utter the words best left unspoken.
"What are you doing."
What a wonderful question, Aether thought to himself. No doubt his sister would ask the same thing, and indeed, he preferred her ice-cold glare compared to Keqing's thousand voltage one.
Keqing neither looked furious nor irritated, simply confused. Her expression was akin to disgust- as if questioning why she was sharing a room with a pile of garbage.
In any event, panicking would do nothing to diffuse the situation. Aether nodded, hoping to the Seven that he, more specifically his lower body, would not be defeated in this desperate clash of self-control. Choosing his words carefully, he stared deep into Keqing's eyes.
"I can explain."
Yesterday…
"SLUUUUUUUUUURPPP!"
"You don't have to say slurp every time you eat noodles, Paimon," Aether said. As swift as Anemo, he pilfered a pork strip from his distracted fairy companion's plate.
"Hey! You have your own!"
Aether didn't even bat an eye. "I pay for everything, anyway."
"Oh yeah!" Paimon waved at the chef behind his stall. "Boss! One more order of Char Siu, please!"
"Coming right up!" the chef replied, grinning from ear to ear at his potential profits. Mora was falling from the sky and into his lap today.
How many dishes have they ordered already? They stopped counting after eight. Aether didn't mind. The two of them had been camping out in the wilderness for over a week, exploring some ruins. They only just got back and, suffice to say, his pockets needed some emptying, and his stomach the opposite.
A bowl of pork fillet in reddish-brown sauce clattered between the two of them. Paimon drooled, her eyes twinkling like stars as she hovered closer to the dish. Aether acted more reserve, savoring the rich barbeque aroma as he sipped a brew from his cup. He wanted some alcohol to go with his meal, but because of his youthful appearance and no proof of his actual age, the chef barred him from ordering.
Minor inconveniences, he reckoned. The food tasted phenomenal, so he need not complain. Just eat.
A chill ran up his spine.
'An enemy?' he thought. It was the same sort of chill as when a feral beast stalked him from the dark. He felt an overwhelming killing intent, like cryo daggers were poised against the back of his neck.
His eyes darted back and forth. They were in Liyue Harbor, so the possibility of it being hilichurls was out. Was it the Abyss Order? The Fatui? Or could it be…
"La Singora?!'
There was no other explanation. The she-devil knew he was in Liyue, so she could come finish him off anytime. What do the Harbingers want with him anyway?
He glanced around, picking apart the crowd passing through the restaurant's dining area. None of them looked suspicious or dangerous. Most of them were dock workers after a hearty lunch. Patrons of the restaurant laughed in satisfaction as they got up and left their tables. Paimon was gorging herself in her food, guzzling down noodles with another loud slurp. The chef patted his assistant on the back as they discussed their business for the day.
Nothing seemed off.
Eventually, his eyes locked with a pair of indignant red ones from across the street. Long, purple pigtails bounced up and down as a girl barged towards them, annoyance and impatience plastered all over her face. With a slam of her hand on their table, the chattering of the crowd around them stopped.
Considering who the girl was, everyone could only watch in respectful silence.
Situationally-unaware Paimon was the first to speak up, still nibbling on a pork loin. "Ah, it's Bossy Thunder-Lady."
Keqing exhaled. Loudly. "Don't call me that." She glowered at Aether. "You. Come with me."
"But my— " Aether tried to say, shrinking as an irate bossy lady-that-always-wanted-things-to-go-her-way slammed her hand down again.
"Now. I waited for ten minutes for you to finish your food, but you showed no signs of stopping! Quit wasting my time!"
"Don't worry," Paimon said. "Paimon will eat your share too. No drop of good food will be wasted when Paimon's around!"
Of course. Helpful as always. Classic Paimon.
Before he could even sigh, Keqing yanked on his arm, literally dragging Aether out of the restaurant and into the busy streets of Liyue Harbor. They stopped before the stairs leading up to Yuehai Pavilion.
"I need your help," Keqing said.
'Go figure,' Aether retorted under his breath. It was pretty obvious Keqing needed his help. He was willing to offer it, but she was too proud to admit it up front. Heaving a sigh, he nodded.
Should be simple enough. He knew the drill; he knew how this goes. Nod your head when spoken to and let Keqing handle everything else. Just like always.
"I want you to be my assistant."
Just like al—
"I'm not looking for long-term employment," Aether said.
The job security certainly sounded appealing. Not counting the huge bags of mora he can get working for the Qixing, the adventuring lifestyle was something he can't give up on a whim. It suited him just fine, being an interdimensional traveler and all. Besides, he still needed to find his sister while kicking some Unknown God's ass along the way.
Then again, huge bags of mora.
"I'm not looking for long-term employment… yet," he corrected.
"Temporarily!" Baffled by his response, Keqing hurriedly tried to explain the situation. "My current one turned in sick today and I don't have time to hire another on such short notice."
"Don't your assistant's quit after, like, three months, or something?"
"Please, only until the rest of the day. I promise to gratuitously compensate you for the work. Five times the daily salary, you have my word."
Aether nodded. "Sold."
"Good…" Keqing said, sighing in relief as if a heavy load was taken off her shoulders. Her eyes seemed to glaze over as she turned around, her voice far less enthusiastic compared to when she started. "Now come, I need to—"
A heel clicked on concrete.
"Watch out!" Noticing her odd behavior, Aether lunged to catch Keqing before her skull smashed on the stairs.
Keqing's face was flushed redder than her usual make-up. Her eyes were swollen as she tried to blink back tears. Blood dripped from a gash on her knee from when she tripped. Her breath came in short rasps and her body was heating up to an unnatural degree.
"Are you…?"
"Yes, I am. What of it?" Keqing answered, no hint of deceit in her tone. She pushed herself back up, her legs shaking as it tried to find a balance that wasn't there. "I have to go…"
Go where? Aether held Keqing's arm to stop her from falling again. Slowly, she limped up the stairs, leaning heavily on Aether as her breathing seemed to worsen. Sitting her on the bench, Aether kneeled down to dress the scrape on her knee.
This wasn't in the job description, but it made sense now why Keqing needed an assistant. It only took a single glance to know that the girl was too sick to work. She coughed violently into her sleeve, still trying to maintain a semblance of dignity. Lucky for them, the pavilion was deserted except for the few Millelith patrolling around.
"I'm fine…" she said, shying away from Aether's stern gaze. "Three minutes. That's as much time I can afford. I'll be back in tiptop shape afterward."
Three minutes was a day short of being an actual effective treatment. Keqing looked ready to collapse, panting wearily as she braced her arms on her knees to force herself to sit up.
Two and a half minutes crawled by, and Keqing showed no signs of feeling better. "You're not working today," Aether said, taping the gauze over her wound.
Keqing winced. She bit on her lip, waiting for the last thirty seconds to pass. As soon as it did, she slapped her face awake and stood up. She came face to face with a disapproving Aether looming over her. As weak as she was, she couldn't stop him from pushing her back down.
"T-this is nothing…" she half-yelled, half-pleaded, gasping for air. "Please…. I can't stop now. I have to get in there and… and…"
This was going nowhere, fast.
"And?" Aether asked.
"Huh?"
"And what will you do?"
"I don't understand…"
Aether bowed courteously to her, a gesture suitable for one dubbed an Honorary Knight of Favonius. "I'm your assistant for today. Tell me what you want done, and I'll see to it."
If the boss was too sick to work, then it was the assistant's job to pick up the slack. It's what they do. How hard could it be?
Although it sounded cool in his head, it was met with a giggle from Keqing. She placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled at him. "Thank you for the offer. It's sweet, but I need to do this myself."
"Are you sure?"
Keqing leaned closer. Her amethyst eyes were sore with fatigue and lack of sleep. She whispered, as gently as she squeezed Aether's hand. "Please."
"...Alright."
"Thank you." She turned her head away, a rare blush reddening her cheeks. "Can I… rely on you to be there for me? Just in case."
At this point, it was too late to say no.
Actions should speak for themselves. Aether lifted Keqing up on his back. He wasn't sure he was allowed to do this, but seeing as she could barely stand, this was the best he could think of. At least it should allow her precious extra moments to rest.
Perhaps too tired to resist, Keqing wrapped her arms around his neck. Her breathing had calmed down, and she allowed herself to relax, closing her eyes in a fleeting nap that only she could enjoy.
It was a silent trek— a stark contrast to the noisy markets below. He rarely saw Keqing like this; couldn't say he enjoyed it either. She did have it coming, being a workaholic like she was. It was only a matter of time.
He hesitated in front of the entrance to the pavilion.
"I'm fine," Keqing said, unslinging from his back. "That was more than enough."
Brushing the hair away from her face, Keqing squared her shoulders and stood proud. The frail woman from before was nowhere to be seen. She could put up a convincing act if nothing else, Aether thought.
As for how far that act goes, he would have to be cautious.
Just in case.
"Traveler," Keqing said, her tone back to its commanding self. "Can I count on you?"
Aether nodded.
Satisfied with his answer, Keqing pushed the doors open. Her dress billowed dramatically behind her as she marched inside, a firm resolution on her face. Aether followed her. There was nothing he could do to slow her down. Nothing will. Not disease, nor exhaustion— not even the wrath of the Seven Gods.
She was Keqing, Yuheng, and the rising star of the Liyue Qixing.
As the pavilion doors closed behind them, Aether glanced back. He felt a sinking sensation that maybe, just maybe, he forgot about something important.
It was probably nothing.
"PAAAAH! Paimon's so full…"
Paimon patted her bulging tummy, lounging atop their table like a pub cat. She could eat a couple of plates more for desserts, but Aether hasn't come back yet.
Paimon sighed. "Paimon is so nice. Paimon doesn't want to eat slime cake without Aether cuz Paimon knows he'd be mad if Paimon did."
Fifteen minutes passed, and there was still no sign of Aether. Paimon expected that. Knowing the Bossy Thunder-Lady, he was probably struggling right now trying to keep up. It was quite sad thinking about how lonely the Bossy Thunder-Lady must feel. Aether was one of the only few people that could tolerate her attitude.
"The poor guy. Yup, Paimon will forgive him for taking so long to come back because Paimon is also merciful like that. Mhmm."
Another fifteen minutes and Paimon started to worry. She floated back and forth, pacing in the air. What was taking Aether so long?
"Uhm, customer?"
"Geh?!"
Here it comes.
The chef handed her a slip of paper. "Your bill, ma'am."
Crap.
Paimon looked away from the imposing man, twiddling her thumbs in a desperate attempt to look cute. "Uhh… Paimon doesn't have any money on her… Paimon is still waiting for her friend to come back…"
The man frowned and crossed his arms. Although most humans looked like giants to Paimon, the man towered over her, almost menacingly. His brows creased, revealing battle scars underneath the wrinkles. He was having none of her excuses.
The mountain of plates left on their table only served as damning evidence of their would-be crime.
"And if he doesn't?" the chef asked. His anger was a hair-trigger temper away from mincing Paimon the way he minced pork. "How are you going to pay for all the food you ate?!"
"Uhhhhhhhhh…"
So. How does one answer such a question?
…
"...Hehe?"